Saddleback softball coach Nick Trani reached a new milestone on Wednesday when he opened his 21st season as the head coach with a 6-5 win over Grossmont College in eight innings. It was the 500th win for Trani at Saddleback, and started the Gaucho season off on a high note.
For the 824th time in his Saddleback career Nick Trani took his normal spot on a low-lying chair in the corner of the dugout. Unbeknownst to him, it would end up being his 500th career win at Saddleback when all was said and done. The veteran skipper picked up a win on opening day and with it passed a new milestone.
It didn't come without trepidation; however, as Trani had to work some of that old magic and pull a rabbit out of a hat. Saddleback squandered a 4-1 lead late in the game, having to come from behind for the win.
Saddleback took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Ankica Gogich led off the inning with a solo home run. The Gauchos would score two more times, taking advantage of a costly defensive error by the Griffins when Kylee Lologo drove in two with a single.
Things calmed down until the seventh inning when Grossmont mounted a charge. The Gauchos made a pitching change and the Griffins took advantage. Three walks, a single and a double later and Grossmont led 5-4 with only one at-bat remaining for the home squad.
Saddleback didn't waste any time in getting even when Jessica Angulo led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run to even the score at 5-5. It looked as if Saddleback would end things quickly when Katelyn Gomez then doubled and was bunted to third with only one out in the inning. After a couple of walks, the Gauchos had the bases loaded but failed to push across the winning run when Chandler Smith and Madison Newby both popped out, sending the game to extra innings.
Starting pitcher Kaylee Cranmer then re-entered the game and quickly the momentum changed. She made quick work of the Griffins, striking out two and forcing a lazy pop-up to the shortstop to set the stage for the win.
After another defensive error by Grossmont in the bottom of the inning, Gomez delivered a two-out single to drive in Allie Potts and the celebration was on.
The win improved Trani's lifetime total at Saddleback to 500-322-2 and gave the Gauchos a 1-0 record to start the 2015 campaign. Saddleback will look to improve to 2-0 when it plays in the College of the Desert Tournament starting Friday.
Trani, who coached at Orange Coast College for six seasons and amassed a 180-92 record, now has 680 victories as a part of the Orange Empire Conference with a reasonable chance of reaching 700 community college career victories later this season.